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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 11, 2024

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Wasn't Pod Save America basically an astroturfed DNC creation to try to sway a few young male voters away from the Joe Rogan demographic? I've never watched them, but every other show I've seen them on they are just spewing carefully crafted DNC talking points. Tip toeing around the land mines that are the most unpopular DNC policies with a degree of spin so sophisticated it's almost impossible for me to believe they came up with it on their own.

Edit: I think I got it confused with another podcast full of 18-25 year olds. These are all old Obama staffers. So even more nakedly an extension of the DNC.

It’s definitely — and explicitly — pro-Democratic party, and features calls for political donations. However, it also feels (to me) quite fresh and direct and pretty bold in its analysis.

I'd echo Butlerian. What are their fresh takes? Can you timestamp me (or at least give the episode) where they said replacing Biden was needed (before the debate) or that replacing him with Kamala was a bad choice (before the election)? Or something post election that undermines DNC orthodoxy? Bring back the death penalty?

Yeah, it's pretty hard to want to listen to a DNC podcast. It's like reading Pravda circa 1985. It feels almost impossible to have a fresh take within the rubric of a dying Orthodoxy.

But I'm willing to be proven wrong! @doglatine What surprising new ideas are these hot young Dems coming up with?

I listened to a bunch of recent episodes and they are unusually thoughtful and smug DNC parrots. They are cheerleader partisans, not bold innovators.

I haven't listened very much and maybe I'm missing some older contrarian episodes. Without bothering to listen you already know their views: median Democratic consensus.

Can you give three examples of their fresh bold takes on policies which Dems usually tiptoe around?

How are they on the JQ?

I’m not sure if this was your intention but it legit made me laugh.

Why would anyone expect them to follow fringe alt-right antisemitism? They are normie Obama staffers.

Charitably, he's asking where they stand on Jewish controversies that are dividing the current left, such as Israel-Palestine or whether Jews count as Whites for the purposes of affirmative action.

Okay. I was thinking about "the Jewish question" in the historical sense. As in: "Clearly Jews are not going to be allowed to exist moving forward. So, shall we integrate them so that they are no longer Jews, or just dispose of them like vermin?"

As best I know modern people who seek answers to the Jewish Question are not wondering how much more integration would improve Jews.

If Butlerian meant a broad reasonable question about their commitment to Israel, I didn't notice it in the historical reference to the Jewish Question.

More or less 100% of people who refer to it as "the JQ" are using it as you describe.